Indigenous groups in Brazil stage month-long protests for land rights, justice

Indigenous groups from across Brazil organized a month-long series of protests in April to demand land grants and highlight the ongoing violations of their rights. Catholic social activists played a significant role in many of these events.

The major protest was organized by the Acampamento Terra Livre (Free Land Camp) indigenous movement that this year marked its 20th edition. Over 9,000 Indigenous activists gathered in Brasilia and set up camp in front of government buildings April 22-26.

A major demand of the Indigenous movement is the urgent overturn of a law that contains the so-called temporal landmark thesis. Advanced by the lobby of big landowners in Congress, the thesis establishes that only the territories occupied by Indigenous peoples when the current Constitution was promulgated in 1988 can be officially granted to them by the government.

Indigenous peoples and advocates of their rights argue that such a thesis is not only unconstitutional, but also unfair, given that many Indigenous groups had been violently expelled from their territories and were evicted against their will in 1988.

“The Brazilian Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional last year, but a couple of weeks later the Congress passed a bill that included it. It was a deliberate outrage. Now, the Supreme Court has to analyze it again and declare it unconstitutional once more, something that still hasn't happened,” Domingos Andrade, a social activist with the Brazilian Catholic bishops’ conference's Indigenous Missionary Council in Bahia state, told La Croix International.

With the law in force, many Indigenous groups are facing a rather risky situation, with invasions and threats from local landowners who want to occupy their territories and feel empowered by the legislation.

"Invasão Zero," a new threat 

The April protests also had the goal of demanding protection from the State against a rural vigilante network that has been terrorizing Indigenous villagers in different regions.

The killing of an Indigenous leader in the south of Bahia state on Jan. 21 has been the most visible action by the group of landowners, who are fighting against Indigenous groups and landless peasants struggling for land ownership in Brazil.

The emergence of such an organization, called Invasão Zero (Zero Invasion), has raised concerns of new waves of rural violence in the South American country, where land disputes have been a historical problem and cause dozens of deaths every year.

According to Franciscan Cardinal Leonardo Steiner, who heads the Indigenous Missionary Council, Indigenous peoples “have faced continuous violence, and the organization of that new group is something very serious that points to an intensification of that problem.” “We have called a special meeting of the council in order to discuss that issue. The Indigenous people are more and more aware of their rights, but they're facing growing violence,” Cardinal Steiner, who is the Archbishop of Manaus in the Amazon, told La Croix International. 

Andrade explained that Invasão Zero members usually “hire state policemen for their actions.” “Policemen are armed people with experience in conflict. That's perfect for the farmers who want to expel the Indigenous peoples from their territories,” Andrade said.

Invasão Zero, often described as a rural militia, have intensified their actions over the past few years. In the south of Bahia, large portions of land are claimed by three Indigenous groups – the Tupinambá de Olivença, the Pataxó and the Pataxó Hã-hã-hãe. Despite the fact that those areas have been partially recognized by the Brazilian State as pertaining to Indigenous peoples, many farmers have invaded them over the years and now want to expel the original inhabitants.

More violence

In September 2022, Gustavo Pataxó, a 14-year-old boy of the Pataxó Indigenous group, was shot dead by a policeman in a territory claimed by his people. A few months later, in January 2023, two other teenagers were shot dead by armed men taking orders from farmers.

Past January, the most recent action by Invasão Zero, shocked many in Brazil. Hitmen attacked Indigenous activists who were in a territory they claimed. The militia shot two elders, cacique Nailton Pataxó, a tribal chieftain, and his sister, known as Nega Pataxó. Nailton was hospitalized, while Nega was found dead not far from the scene. Nega Pataxó was a pajé, a prestigious spiritual leader and healer among the Pataxó. She had three children and six grandchildren.

“Policemen were present and saw it all, but they did nothing to prevent the killing,” Andrade claims.

“On January 21, farmers and their hitmen came to us, accompanied by policemen. I showed them a map that demonstrates we have the right to be there. But the police went away, and they just began to hit us and shoot at us,” Nailton said. “The atmosphere is one of sadness now in our village. But we're not giving up our struggle,” Nailton told La Croix International. Doctors have since surgically removed the bullet from his body, but Nailton is finding it difficult to walk now due to the pain.

"Death threats against leaders are common"

Erilsa Pataxó, a leader of the Barra Velha territory, also located in Bahia state, told La Croix International that violence against Indigenous peoples grew during former President Jair Bolsonaro's administration. Erilsa said 412 farms invaded Pataxó lands. “The local authorities support the invaders, while the radio stations and newspapers campaign against us. Death threats against leaders are common,” she said.

Andrade said that such conflicts can only be solved if President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration speeds up the program granting lands to Indigenous peoples. That was one of the major demands of the April protests. “But the landowners and their lobby are very powerful in Congress. The federal government apparently doesn't want to create conflict with lawmakers. So, Indigenous lives will continue to be lost,” Andrade said. 

Cardinal Steiner thinks that the current governmental structure concerning the Indigenous peoples in Brazil must be revised, given that the current one is failing to adequately assist them. “Maybe even the FUNAI [the National Indian Foundation, the Brazilian government body that establishes and carries out policies relating to Indigenous peoples] will have to be reevaluated in order to gain more authority,” the cardinal said.